Various types of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have been developed. UAS typically include ground-based controllers that communicate wirelessly with unmanned aircraft (UA). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has received numerous reports from pilots, aircraft controllers and others about unmanned aircraft operating in areas that can put people on the ground and/or other aircraft in direct harm (i.e., operating where they should not be). Examples include unplanned UA operations near other aviation activities, near firefighting activities, and operation over populated, private or secured areas.
Legislation has been proposed to mandate technology, such as geo-fencing, to prevent such events. Geo-fencing systems are available today for some UA that provide some functionality to prevent unmanned aircraft from entering “no-fly” zones. However, existing geo-fencing technology may rely on GPS and/or non-aviation-grade autopilot systems that are subject to failure. Thus, existing geo-fencing technology does not meet current civil aviation-grade standards for reliability and integrity.